Even after the complete withdrawal of US troops, Washington will remained engaged in Iraq for the long-term, US Vice President Joe Biden said Monday, dpa reported.
"Drawing down our troops does not mean disengaging from Iraq," Biden told a gathering of US veterans in Indianapolis, Indiana. "In fact, quite the opposite is true."
The last US combat brigade left Iraq last week, but some 50,000 troops are to remain after September 1 as part of a mission to support and train Iraqi forces. These US forces are to be withdrawn by the end of 2011.
Biden said even then an "army of US citizens" would remain as part of a long-term relationship to help support Iraq as a democracy.
He expressed confidence that Iraqis would be able to form a government following inconclusive March elections.
His remarks were the first by since the final combat brigade left Iraq early Thursday. Obama is expected to make a statement later this month before the official end of the combat mission on August 31.
Some 52,000 troops remain, but that number is to reduced to 50,000 by the official end of combat operations.